Fitness Journey

In the beginning I was a 206lb "flabalicious" fat guy rapidly approaching the big 3-0. So, how am I doing? Today, about seven months in, I weighed 166.6lbs. Over the holidays I went back up to 178 lbs, but now I am working on reaching my goal of 159 lbs, 7% body fat, and a Ninja Warrior ready body.

But I guess I should catch you up. Day Four I worked all day and only had time for a short ab workout. Yet I still went to bed at my lowest night time weight yet, 182 lbs.

I didn’t have any great hopes about this morning- I assumed I would weigh in slightly over 180 lbs. So when I saw that the scale read 179.6, my first reaction was disbelief. I weighed in three more times to be sure. Yup, I got 179.6 every time. I said a prayer of thanks and proceeded to get multiple high-fives from my daughter.

Thanks to everyone out there. Your support has meant and will continue to mean a lot. Keep my transformation in your prayers. I am aiming for 165 lbs. And today I am more than a pound closer.

I must apologize though for getting off track with my running. Today, we have company over, so I am not sure whether I will have time for my run- this would be the third day I have put it off. If I don’t run today then that means I will run and resistance train this Sunday. Although, I am hoping to fit at least one of those two activities into my day today.

Bad news usually comes first, so here goes. I kind of messed up the experiment. Last night I did my resistance training- nothing too complicated, just some squats, bench presses, dead-lifts, etc. However, I didn’t get to run. My daughter refused to get in her jogging stroller all day and when she was finally in bed it was 9 o’clock. I will have to redo this week’s experiment in a couple weeks.

With that out of the way, time to deliver the good news. When I went to bed last night I had the lowest night time weigh-in thus far (182 lbs) and my weigh-in this morning was also good. This morning I weighed in at 180.8 lbs. So on my birthday I am SO close to 179.9…so close. I guess that by this Saturday I will break the 180 barrier. While I had hoped it would happen on my B-day, I am still glad that I have come this close. I look forward to seeing how this week turns out. My gut has a feeling that the results will be great- which is odd since it is my gut that is in danger of disappearing.

I like breaking up my long term goal of losing 45lbs over several months into two-week sections- maybe it is my lack of patience, I don’t know. The two-week segments allow me a time to reflect on what is working and what isn’t. Moreover, if I make one of those big mistakes (eating a whole pizza) a new beginning is never more than two weeks away. And so today, yet again, my weight loss journey begins again.

Today I began the first week of a larger three week test. How much more might I lose if I ran immediately after my resistance workouts? That is what I aim to find out this week.

Not surprisingly, I was totally exhausted after my run today. The workout itself was hard enough, with plenty of sprints, squats, bench presses, etc. When I began running I felt certain that I couldn’t finish. However, once I had pushed through the first five minutes my attitude and my body felt much better. I cruised in at fifteen minutes- not pushing hard, but still out of breath.

I opened my Men’s Health magazine yesterday only to read an interesting and workout altering factoid. Apparently, a study in Japan found that if you run immediately after your resistance training session you burn TWICE as many calories. Now, I have also heard (although I don’t know of any study to confirm this) that if you run first thing in the morning before eating you can burn 300% more calories.

So, how about putting it to the test?

Over the next three weeks I will be conducting a fitness experiment. My body will be the lab rat.

Week 1: Three resistance training sessions with a run following immediately after.

Week 2: Run first thing in the morning. Each run will take place on a day when no resistance training is scheduled.

Week 3: If possible, both training and run will take place immediately after waking up and before breakfast. I really hope I don’t pass out during either activity.

When all is said and done we can compare weight and inches lost. Admittedly, the more weight you lose, the harder it seems to lose weight. So, I think weeks two and three will need some kind of handicap. Maybe spot them a pound or two? Let the experiment begin.

In the beginning I asked how much change could be accomplished in just two weeks. The answer? Well, you are about to find out.

Weight: 186.6; Waist= 37 1/2 inches

And today?

Weight: 182.2; Waist= 36 inches

So that means over the last two weeks I lost4.4lbs and 1 1/2 inches from my spare tire- not to mention unmeasured fat from my face, second tire, and legs.

And now the pictures that show the weight lost. I will post here my very first before pictures and my newest pictures (from this morning). If you want to compare the newest pictures with those from the beginning of this two week process just click here.

These sections are my attempt to sculpt and share my knowledge into three workable plans for beginners, intermediate, and advanced folks who need a jump start in their life- mind, body, and spirit. They aren’t finished yet, but hopefully they will be soon- I think Monday.

There are a lot of parts of my daily routine that I have left out of my regular posts. These are important aspects of my routine that should be shared, but for various and sundry reasons, don’t enter my postings.

First, Bible study. The goal was 30 to 45 minutes of Bible study each morning. I wish I could say I was consistently faithful to this goal, but truth is I have been no to be slack and forget this as I get caught up in various projects (whether it be running or writing). As of today I have recommitted myself to this goal and increased it to an hour each day. To up the ante, I am going to make a deal with myself. If I miss my bible study then I must miss dinner- and I love dinner.

Second, stretching. I try to stretch each morning. Nothing complex, not formal yoga or anything similar, just simple stretches- legs, back, arms, chest, and neck. I also stretch again before a run or workout.

Third, play. Aside form occasionally stepping in dog poop, I enjoy going outside with my dogs and chasing them (often they are the ones chasing me). We play quite rough, and Lucius can take a good slap to the snout. I do need to spend more time training them formally. But, I don’t want to give up the play time, it is really refreshing and fun.

Fourth, family. Last, but not least, is spending time with my family. I find that more often than not this is a great way to fresh and replenish a weary spirit and body. Nothing like the joy in my daughter’s eyes when I set up her train set, or when we make Dora and Boots out of Play-doh.